*Enters with an officer's uniform + hat and cracks a whip onto nearby table.*
You people are obviously NOT the experts when it comes to the franchise know as Project .hack! If you need any information, ask an expert on the situation! Mwahahaha!!
Okay, enough with the c***, I'll behave now.
There are 4 different time lines which you incorporate with the .hack universe:
Prologue - Fragment*
1st game release - The World
2nd Game release - The World R:2
The World R:X
*Fragment is mainly just mentioned numerous times in the universe, rather than an actual story based on it. It holds the back-story of a lot of the characters.
Here is the list of different titles of all things related to the .hack franchise:
The World:
A.I.Buster (LN)
Sign (Anime)
.hack games (original - Infection, mutation, outbreak and quarantine). and Liminality comes with this.
Another Birth (LN)
Legend of the Twilight, aka Dusk (Manga and Anime)
Fragment game (MMORPG which I dont think was very successful, I don't know for sure.)
The World R:2
Roots (Anime)
.hack//G.U. games (Not available for UK - hmph!)
.hack//G.U.+ (manga)
.hack//Trilogy (Anime: rounds up the games + alternate scenes/ending apparently.)
Cell (LN)
.hack//4 Korma (Manga)
The World R:X
Link (Manga)
Quantum (Anime)
That should be the chronological order on how the events occur, but not necessarily the order you should start with. It's difficult to get ANY of the games now, but who knows.
I'd start with Sign and try to get any info about the games in-between or afterwards. Then it's your choice - I'd recommend either Another Birth, so you can get at least one character's perspective of the game events, or Legends to move on. Switch them afterwards.
Then go for A.I. Buster to get more on background info and a unique story for Fragment-played characters (in-story, not the MMORPG).
By this time, you'd move to the G.U. Saga, and you should go down the items as listed on there. 4Korma is actually a group of invited artists in a comedy comic collection, which has its own original viewpoint of both G.U. and original games' characters meshed together.
R:X is one I'm currently investigating - Have some of Link, but need to get the OAV (Original Anime Video) named Quantum. I can only say that Link is about a character trapped in the game (in-story), and he meets some of the other cast in other time lines.
A .hack Movie is also being made in 3D style (CGI or whatever) - But it's a retelling and original concept of the 1st series. Still being sorted out by the Japanese atm, so not available yet, as far as I'm aware.
I leave the rest up to you, my padawan... If you need any more info, dont hesitate to ask, and I'll try to help out as much as I can.
Welcome to the forums, and enjoy the stay! \m/
